After closing his general dentistry practice and teaching for two years, Dr. Jim Beck has opened TMJ-Sleep Colorado, a clinic dedicated solely to diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and TMJ (cranio-mandibular) pain and dysfunction disorders.

The two conditions often are intricately related, or can occur independently. Both can cause numerous other health issues if untreated or treated incorrectly.

Beck sees patients primarily via referral from medical doctors and dentists and works closely with a variety of specialists to pinpoint the cause and treat jaw and facial pain and sleep apnea.

Beck, who is board-certified in TMJ and sleep apnea treatment, did a lot of both during his 16 years as a dentist.

“But it became a logistics and scheduling problem” because the two specialties require so much time.

The sheer number of patients who had one or both issues convinced him of the need for the specialty clinic he opened in December.

He invested heavily in specialized equipment, including CT scanner and X-ray machines designed specifically for targeting the head and neck.

One of those devices allows him to design intricately fitted sleep appliances that address each patient’s particular jaw misalignment or disease process.

He also has equipment that allows him to measure patient progress via mobile equipment that will provide the equivalent of an overnight sleep study in patient’s own homes.

Optimum treatment requires close cooperation between Beck and each patient’s medical and dental providers, he stressed.

Beck said there are many myths and a lot of misinformation about joint disorders and sleep apnea, as well as how they’re best treated.

Beck said he’s a firm believer in CPAP for treatment of sleep apnea, but studies have shown that at least 50 percent of patients who have the machines don’t use them or can’t tolerate them — for a variety of reasons.

“You can’t piddle around with this,” he said. “That’s why I want to provide focused, evidence-based treatment in tandem with patients’ other providers.”

TMJ-Sleep Colorado is located in Suite 308 of the medical building at 1619 N. Greenwood St. The phone number is 544-0901.